Carrier and easel means for looseleaf binders and the like



July 20, 1965 E. WALKER, JR

CARRIER AND EASEL MEANS FOR LOOSELEAF BINDERS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1965 INVENTOR. 25597 A. W41 KER, JR,

July 20, 1 65 E. 1.. WALKER, JR 3,195,925

CARRIER AND EASEL MEANS FOR LOOSELEAF BINDERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 12b 14 EASE/QT A. WALKER, JR

ATTORNEY y 20, 1965 E. L. WALKER, JR 3,195,925

CARRIER AND EASEL MEANS FOR LOQSELEAF BINDERS AND THE LIKE Filed June 24, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A f 31 30 1%. 9 Z g 9 l INVENTOR. 4 55/ z. W4L KE/e, JP.

United States Patent 3 195,925 CARRIER AND EASEL MEANS FOR LOOSELEAF BINDERS AND THE LIKE Elbert L. Walker, Jr., 4456 Clarissa Ave., Los Angeies, Calif. Filed June 24, 1963, Ser. No. 289,950 7 Claims. (Cl. 281-33) This invention relates to carrier and easel means for looseleaf binders and other hard-cover binders, such as sales brochures, collating books and pamphlets, ledgers, catalogs, etc.

An object of the invention is to provide means that not only facilitates the handling of books and binders, as above enumerated, but also enables disposition thereof in the most advantageous display position during a discussion of the contents, during a sales or other demonstration, and in other instances for illustrating lectures and classroom work.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of the character referred to that enables firm support by one hand of books and binders in open position, while the other hand may be used for turning of the sheets or pages or for pointing to the contents thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide carrier and easel means, as above, that is formed as an attachment to the covers of hard-cover books and binders. A still further object of the invention is to provide carrier and easel means, as above characterized, that, whether embodied as part of a book or binder or as an attachment therefor, embodies means for carrying the same open side up.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following-description and which is based on the accompanying drawings. However, said drawings merely show, and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an end view of a binder that is integrally provided with carrier and easel means according to the present invention.

: FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

' FIG. 3 is a perspective view, with a corner broken away, showing said binder in open position to expose the pages thereof and indicating the manner of holding the same with one hand.

I FIG. 4, to a smaller scale, is an end view showing said binder in one easel-supported position.

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing said binder in another and flatter easel-supported position.

FIG. 6 is a partly broken perspective view of carrier and easel means formed as a separate attachable unit for hard-covered books and binders.

. FIG. 7 is an end view of a modifiaction in which the book is provided with pages that are of limited flexibility and are connected in a fan-fold relationship.

I FIG. 8 is an end view of still another modification shown in carrying position.

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the modification as in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an end view of the latter modification in easel arrangement.

FIG. 11 is an end view of an attachment modification of the form of FIG. 8, shown partly open.

FIG. 12 is an inside face view of one of the sides of said attachment.

The present carrier and easel means is combined with either a hard-covered book or binder 10, as in the forms of FIGS. 1 to 5 and 8 to 9, or with a stack of fan-folded sheets or pages 11, as in FIG. 7. In the first instance, the covers 12 of the book or binder are conventionally rectangular and are integrally connected to the present carrier and easel means. While the book or binder is not shown in FIG. 6, the device there shown is an attachment that is adapted for separable connection with a hardcovered book or binder to provide an organization similar to the one shown in FIGS. 1 to 5. It will be clear that insofar as the present improvements are concerned, the covers 12 of FIGS. 1 to 5, the cover engaging portions 12a of FIG. 6, and the two outer sheets 12b of the fan-folded stack of FIG. 7, each constitutes part of the combined carrier and easel means 13 of the present invention. The form of FIGS. 11 and 12, also, comprises an attachment for a hard cover book or file and is comparable to the form of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 in the manner of its operation.

The present combined means 13, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, comprises, generally, stiff panels 14 that are connected by hinges 15 to the covers 12, stiff panels 16 con nected along a hinge 17, and each connected by a hinge 18 to one of the panels 14, and a clasp or closure means 19 to retain the book or binder closed during carrying thereof.

The panels 14, as best seen in FIG. 2, have their top and bottom edges 21 converging toward the hinge 17, thereby imparting to said panels 14 an isosceles trapezoidal form in which the hinges 18 represent both the smaller of the two parallel sides of each panel 14, and the longer of the two parallel sides of each panel 16.

The panels 16 are provided with handor finger-accommodating openings 22 to define handle parts 23in said panels.

FIGS. 1 to 5 show the binder as being provided with the usual back 24 on which the binder covers 12 hinge, and the usual sheaf of pages 25 held in operative position by a ring or other holder 26 carried by said back 24.

The means 19 may comprise a conventional clasp such as ordinarily used for closing books, such as diaries. In this case, the same is shown, in FIGS. 1 and 2, as a flexible member 27 that spans across the front edges of the book covers and, by means of snap fasteners 28, is separably engaged with the panels 14.

FIG. 6 is a modification that, instead of being connected by hinges to the covers of the book, is formed as a separate attachable unit for connection with the covers of hard-covered books or binders. The elements comprising the means 13, in this form of the invention, are the same as those described for the forms of FIGS. 1 to 5. Instead of the hinged connection 15 of said earlier form, the means of FIG. 6 provides portions 12a that are formed to have recesses or pockets 20 intowhich the front edges of the hard covers of a book or hinder are adapted to be received. Thus said portions 12a become separable parts of the book or binder covers 12.

FIG. 7 shows a modification in which the outer or cover sheets 12b of the fan-folded stack 11 are connected by hinges 15 to the edges of the cover panels 14, as above described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 5. In other respects, this modification follows the construction of the form of FIGS. 1 to 5. The stack 11 replaces the sheaf 25 of the form of FIGS. 1 to 5, the cover 12 of which is replaced by the outer sheets 12b.

While the sheaf 25, in FIGS. 8 to 9 is of a width substantially greater than the covers 12, the extensions provided by the panels 14, together with the panels 16 and up, thereby enabling the present means to carry the book.

' achieved with the separate.

ends 30 hingedly connected to the latter panels, form a construction that 'substitutes a separable'snap-connected.

lap 19a which has snap fasteners 31 to connect said end 30.

2. Combined means according to claim 1 provided with a clasp separably connecting the edge portions of the first- This hook-carrying end replaces the hinges 17 of FIG. 1', a

and enables the clasp 19 of FIG. 1 to be omitted; A

comparison of FIGS. 4 and will reveal the similarity of the books shown in these two figures. I

The modification of FIGS. 11' and 12, shows thecovers 12 of a book or binder enclosed within loopslZdthatI separably hold the cover portions 120 on said covers 12.

By swinging the covers 12to a back-to-back position, T relatively, the bands 12d may be readily slid on or off said 7 snap-connected lap 19a may beconnected so the'panels- 12, 14 and 16 enclose the sheaf with the handle parts or binder with. its back,24 down. By separating the fasteners 31, the panels 14 and 16-may be folded back to connect the handle parts, as shown'in.FIG.-" 1O, in

which condition'thedevice may be arrangedas an easel,

mentioned panels. I I

3; Combined means according to claim 1 in which-the mentioned 'panels are provided with opposite converging edges from the edge-connected portio'nsof the panels to the hinge line thatconnects the second panels,

4. Cor'nbined'rneans according to claim 1 in which the first-mentioned panels'are formed with pockets, and the connection with the covers of abook is effected by inserting the free edgs of said covers in said pockets. I,

'5. In" combination with the hard cover. of abook' or i binder, I

as shown, or in a position similar to th at ofFIG; 3. m-

the form of FIG. 11,the panel portions1-2c are connected by a back piece 32 into which the book or hinder back 24 It will be seen froni'FIGS. 1 and 2 that the handle parts 23'may be used for carrying a book or binder; from FIG. 3, that the book or binder, in open condition,

' may be held by one hand (engaged with the panels 16) so the pages 25 may be presented to view for discussion of what is shownthereon; from FIG. 4, how the panels 14 and 16 may be arranged to-present the pages 25, one

binder will have a rearwardly'tilted position, may 'be binder, as in FIGQ6.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what modification without departing from th spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all'modifications that,

j 1. Combined carrier and easel means for ia book :or, binder having hingedly connected hard covers, said means comprising:

' I of a book provided'with a sheaf of papers,

All of these i present means-set on asupport surface so that the open attachment for a book or (a) a hard panel connected. to each .book or binder cover on a hinge line extending along the d the cover'and parallel to the cover hinges, I V (b) a second and narrower hard panel connected along hinge lines to-the freeIe dges of each'of the first;

mentioned panels,

and

(d)'portionsf constituting carrying handles formed said; second panels,

height. of

" (e) one wide panel and both hinge-connected narrow panels being unfoldable on their hinged'connections to a flat lcon dition with one'of the. book orbinder covers flatly supported .on the latter wide-panel, and

(f) the other wi'de panel and book cover being disposed I in the form -of a triangular easel 'overstandingthe.

flatly arrangednarrow panel, the book cover constituting a sloping support for the sheaf ofpages.

(b) a second pair of hard panels hingedly connected together and hingedly connected to} the rearward edges of the first-mentioned pairof. hard panels, the second pair of panels being formed as carrying handles for the book or hinder, (c) a clasp separably connecting the forward edges of theflfirst-mentioned panels to retain the book 'or hinder closed during carrying thereof, a (d) the book or binder covers being rectangular, and (e) the mentioned panels, from the forward edges thereof'to the hinge connecting the second, pair of panels, having an isosceles trapezoidal'form with the oppositegupper and lower edges'thereof converging I j .toward the rear. 1 31 6. In combination with the back-connected hard covers (a) a pair of hard panels, I I (b) ahinge connecting one edge of. each panel with I the edge of each respective book cover. along'the edge opposite tothezbook back, 1

' (c) a second pair of hard panels narrower than the panels ofthe first pair, I f (d)'-a hinge'connecting the otherledge of each wider panel with an edge of each respectivenarrowerpanel, (e) the'opposite edges of the narrower panels being connected together," I I (f) the wider "panels being disposed flatwise against Y thecovers and the narrower panels extending beyond thebook back, with the book orbinder closed, (g) 'a'clasp separably eonnecting' the edges of the wider panels across the open edge of the book or hinder, V I I (h) one wide, panel and both hinge-connected narrow panels being unfoldable on their hinged connections to a flatcondition with one of the book or hinder covers flatly supported on the latter wide panel, and (i) the other Widepanel andbookcover.being disposed "in the form of atriangular easelfoverstanding the flatly arranged narrow panel, the book cover constituting a sloping support for'the sheaf of pages. 7. The combination'according to claim 6, in which the book or binder covers are rectangular and the hingeconnected narrow. and wide panels, on each side of the book,from-the hinge free-edgeof the book'covers rear- -wardly,.have"an isosceles trapezoidalform. I

' References Cited byrtlie-Exaniiner I UNITED STATES PAT ENTS I 665,256. 1/01 McComb.. 28117' 2,113,099 '4/38 Sloan 281-17' 3,091,482 5/63 Cirigliano 281'33 .53, 107,448

"EUGENE R. cA PoZro, Primary Examiner. LAWRENCE CHARLES, Eramincr; 

1. COMBINED CARRIER AND EASEL MEANS FOR A BOOK OR BINDER HAVING HINGEDLY CONNECTED HARD COVERS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING: (A) A HARD PANEL CONNECTED TO EACH BOOK OR BINDER COVER ON A HINGE LINE EXTENDING ALONG THE HEIGHT OF THE COVER AND PARALLEL TO THE COVER HINGES, (B) A SECOND AND NARROWER HARD PANEL CONNECTED ALONG HINGE LINES TO THE FREE EDGES OF EACH OF THE FIRSTMENTIONED PANELS, (C) A HINGED CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID SECOND PANELS, AND (D) PORTIONS CONSTITUTING CARRYING HANDLES FORMED IN SAID SECOND PANELS, (E) ONE WIDE PANEL AND BOTH HINGE-CONNECTED NARROW PANELS BEING UNFOLDABLE ON THEIR HINGED CONNECTIONS TO A FLAT CONDITION WITH ONE OF THE BOOK OR BINDER 